Salmon ochazuke
Comforting Japanese ochazuke: steaming rice topped with grilled salmon, nori and sesame, hot green tea poured over for a light supper.
Ochazuke is the ultimate Japanese comfort — steaming rice made cosy and restorative by a generous pour of hot green tea (or dashi) and a few simple toppings. It’s the sort of thing you make when you want something warm, fast and totally soothing.
This version uses quickly grilled salmon, shredded nori and sesame for crunch; keep umeboshi and extra condiments on hand for a proper nostalgic hit. Perfect for a light supper or to use up leftover rice.
Ingredients
- 300 g short-grain rice
- 920 ml water — total for cooking rice and making tea
- 240 g salmon fillet — skin on, single piece
- 5 ml vegetable oil
- 15 ml soy sauce
- 15 ml mirin
- 10 ml green tea leaves — sencha or hojicha
- 1 nori sheet — to shred for garnish
- 10 g toasted sesame seeds
- 1 spring onion — thinly sliced
- 2 umeboshi — pickled plum, optional
- sea salt — pinch, to taste
Equipment
- small saucepan with lid
- teapot or small jug for steeping
- grill or grill tray
- rice paddle or fork
Instructions
Rinse the short-grain rice in a bowl under cold running water, swishing with your hand until the water runs almost clear. Drain, transfer to a saucepan, add 420 ml of the water and leave to soak for 30 minutes.
Cover the saucepan, bring to the boil over a medium hob, then reduce to the lowest heat and simmer gently for 12 minutes without lifting the lid.
Remove the pan from the heat and leave, still covered, to rest for 10 minutes. After resting, fluff gently with a rice paddle or fork.
While the rice finishes, preheat your grill to high. Mix the soy sauce and mirin in a small dish and brush the salmon lightly with vegetable oil, then with the soy–mirin mix.
Grill the salmon skin-side down for 6–8 minutes, until the flesh is just cooked through and flakes easily. Remove and leave to rest for a minute, then flake into bite-sized pieces.
Heat the remaining 500 ml water to about 80°C (just off the boil). Put the green tea leaves in a teapot or small jug, pour over the hot water and steep for 2 minutes. Stir in the remaining splash of soy sauce (about 5–10 ml) and a small pinch of sea salt to taste.
Divide the hot rice between two bowls. Top with flaked salmon, shred the nori sheet over both bowls, sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and sliced spring onion. Halve the umeboshi and tuck into each bowl if using.
Pour the hot tea over the rice and toppings to just cover, serve immediately and eat with chopsticks or a spoon.
Tips
- Rinse the rice until the water runs almost clear to avoid sticky, gummy grains.
- If you have leftover cooked rice, warm it gently with a splash of water in a covered pan for 4–5 minutes before serving — don’t microwave for too long or it will dry out.
- Keep the tea just off the boil (about 80°C) for sencha to avoid a bitter brew — a kettle with temperature settings helps but isn’t essential.
- Make the soy–mirin brush in advance for even seasoning; if using smoked salmon, skip the grilling step and flake it straight on.
- Store any leftover components (plain rice, grilled salmon) separately in the fridge for up to 24 hours; reheat the rice with a little water and reheat the salmon gently
Substitutions
salmon fillet → mackerel fillet, grilled and flaked (more oily, stronger flavour)
Stays closesoy sauce → tamari in an equal quantity (gluten-free)
Stays closegreen tea leaves → dashi stock (use 500 ml dashi instead of tea)
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 804
- Calories
- 37 g
- Protein
- 123 g
- Carbs
- 18 g
- Fat
- 2 g
- Fibre
- 10 g
- Sugar
- 1500 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I use leftover rice?
Yes — leftover cold rice is fine. Warm it gently with a splash of water in a covered pan for 4–5 minutes before assembling so it’s steaming when you pour over the tea.
Can I make ochazuke vegetarian?
Yes — replace the salmon with grilled aubergine or blanched edamame and use dashi made from kombu and shiitake or stick to green tea; check condiments (some soy sauces can contain additives).
What tea is best for ochazuke?
Sencha or hojicha are traditional choices. Sencha gives a fresh green note; hojicha (roasted) gives a toasty, comforting flavour that pairs well with oily fish.
How salty will it be with umeboshi and soy sauce?
Umeboshi and soy sauce are both quite salty — taste the tea broth before pouring and use less soy sauce if you include umeboshi to avoid over-salting.
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